Writer’s Block, Now What?

Those who are spiritual can evaluate all things, but they themselves cannot be evaluated by others. For, “Who can know the LORD’s thoughts? Who knows enough to teach him?” But we understand these things, for we have the mind of Christ. ~1 Corinthians 2:15-16

Writer’s block, now that is an interruption of great difficulty for writers. What if you have a deadline? You sit down ready to work on the project and nothing comes to you. You stare at the blank page and the annoying blinking cursor. What to do?

I don’t know about what you do in this situation but I know I have to take a break and pray. God has given us sanctified minds. He has purpose in our words. He will give them to us. We at times just need to wait, relax and trust. If words need to be said, God will bring them.

I often like to remember these verses in times of mental block, “Beautiful words stir my heart. I will recite a lovely poem about the king, for my tongue is like the pen of a skillful poet (Psalm 45:1). When we think about our Lord, we eventually will be stirred to words. His beauty is enough to stir us to write.

So take heart and be encouraged when you hit a block. Maybe the Lord is just using it to draw you to Himself. As you behold Him you will find words. Sometimes it may be a few minutes and other times may take longer but just wait. The words will come.

Often we are encouraged to depend on God in many circumstances but when it comes to writing it can be easy to think, I can do this myself. However, God is involved in all of our life. This is not an exception. Always keep in mind that we do have the mind of Christ if we belong to Him and when we have a block He will help. Just take a moment to breathe and refocus and then it will flow again.

Father, thank You for giving us the mind of Christ. I am amazed by that really and find it hard to comprehend. I praise You! Let me writing encourage others toward You. In Jesus Name. Amen.

I’ve been breaking writer’s block for more than 25 years in a one-time consultation for people ranging from full-time professional writers, including one who’s had ten books in a row on the New York Times bestseller list, and another who is a Pulitzer prize winner, to part-time writers, graduate students, and aspirant writers.

I identify six major forms of block (these also apply to other creative artists as well as writers, such as composers, photographers, and painters — but not to actors — and, actually, can apply to great numbers of people for great numbers of projects or undertakings). They are:

1. Paralysis

2. Avoidance behavior

3. Last-minute crisis writing

4. Inability to finish

5. Inability to select from among projectsfinish

6. Block specific (able to work on other material).

I can’t summarize a four-hour session filled with concept and technique here, but here, without going into detail about them or discussing the many subtle ways they can play out, are what I call “The Three Big Killers” in block:

1. Perfectionism — which is a form of all-or-nothing thinking, triumph or catastrophe, with nothing possible in between.

2. Fear — which is a product of the first and second Big Killers, but which can be identified as a separate entity. All fear in writer’s block, regardless of where it starts, can be boiled down to the simple statement: “That I can’t do it.” And what is the “it” that I can’t do? The simple act of putting words on paper. Period. Nothing more. Nothing less. The simple act of putting words on paper. No more magical an act than painting a board or throwing a board. (Find an equivalent analog for whatever task or project *you* have in mind or are facing.

3. The Baggage Train — these are all the things we wish to *accomplish* with our writing, such as I want to be rich, I want to be admired, I want to make them laugh and cry, I want to save the whales, I want to bring peace to the middle-east, etc., but which are not the *act* of writing itself. The problem arises because, while it looks like I’m trying to write, and I *think* I’m trying to write, I’m not: I’m trying to get rich, save the whales, get my ex-wife and all my ex-lovers to say ‘Boy, I really should have stayed with him. Look how sensitive and insightful he is,’ etc. The key is to disconnect the baggage train from the locomotive, which is writing, which is the simple act of putting words on paper, so that thing get out of the station.

Any single one of these Killers operating in you with sufficient strength, and you’ll be blocked ; any two present at the same time, and you don’t have a chance.

I hope that is of some help. I wish you the best with this problem. (Incidentally, I am not invulnerable to block myself. In fact, I have a *huge* potential case of it. The difference is, I know what to do about it. Actually, I break writer’s block several times a day for myself. If I didn’t, I would be paralyzed.)